Avatar 2, 3, and 4 Will Shoot Back-to-Back-to-Back in New Zealand

It feels like it’s been ages since James Cameron promised us “Avatar 2″. By now, shouldn’t we have gotten “Avatar 4″? Well no, but if all goes well — and if Cameron gets his butt to work already — we should be getting all three “Avatar” sequels by 2018, with “Avatar 2″ scheduled for Christmas 2016.

That’s the plan, anyway.

To further convince us he’s actually doing the sequels, Cameron and Fox have signed a deal with New Zealand to take production on all three sequels over to the country, where they will be getting a sweet 25% rebate. Given that the films are expected to cost in the hundreds of millions, that’s not a very bad deal for both sides at all.

According to the agreement, the “Avatar” production will spend at least $500 million on production, including working with the folks at special effects shop Weta (“The Lord of the Rings” films), with 90% of the live action crew hired from the local stables. The films will also have one of its premieres in New Zealand.

Says Cameron about the deal:

For that reason it’s a real pleasure to know I’m going to have so much of my work done here over the next few years. Its important for everyone to know this [agreement] isn’t just about the Avatar films directly, it’s about trying to lift up the New Zealand film industry, incubate new talent and develop new IP.